Author(s): WARNER DAVE

Fiction

Luscious lurex, sexy satin, glamorous glitter, flicks, flares and Yardley's Pot O' Gloss, Countdown was more than just a TV show; it was a cultural backdrop for a generation of Australians growing up in that scary era - the seventies. The first shows went to air in 1974 and went on to provide the soundtrack to the formative years of a generation. Six o'clock on Sunday evenings and a hush would settle across this wide brown land as kids tuned into Skyhooks, Blondie, Madonna, Abba, Dragon, Split Enz, Sherbet, Marcia Hines, John Paul Young to name just a few of the hundreds of music artists that performed on Countdown. This wildly chaotic show was held together by a bumbling, yet endearing Molly Meldrum, who entertained fans as much as the live music acts. Countdown will take Australian music fans through the glitter and tight pants of the seventies to the consumerism and cross-dressing of the eighties. Grab your platforms and your hair gel and get ready to ride.